


Heart Strings Like Rubber Bands

by matosuwa



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Confessions, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Rejection, i write a lot of angst oops??, rintori - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 20:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1831921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matosuwa/pseuds/matosuwa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Imagine Rin rejecting Ai, only to start liking him after he's taken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to cecilebakura on tumblr for the prompt!!!! more rintori angst ~shocker~

He hadn’t really seen him give a genuine smile since last month. Last month when things were slightly less complicated. Last month when Rin and Ai could be around one another comfortable for longer that ten minutes. Last month when Rin’s heart didn’t do that annoying, aching thing. Last month before Ai had confessed to Rin.

 

Rin wasn’t even sure why he’d said no. Rin didn’t know if he had wanted to say no.

It had been late. Rin had only just turned off the lights and had gotten settled in the lower bunk when he’d heard Ai’s voice. Coming from above, soft and cautious.

“Rin-senpai?” Aiichirou’s voice asked, wavering slightly.

Rin opened his eyes and stared at the top bunk’s mattress. “What?”

He heard Ai let out a long, shaking breath. “I think I’m in love with you.”

Rin propped himself up on his elbows, groggy and tired. Too tired to be getting all-emotional at midnight. “What?”

Nitori heaved a heavy sigh. “Do I have to say it again?”

Rin hummed and flopped back down onto the pillows. “Guess not.”

There was a heavy pause.

“… You’re not going to say anything?” Aiichirou questioned, voice a bit louder now.

Rin nestled in against his pillows, eyes closing. “No.”

He could hear Aiichirou shifting around. “Do… do you think you might love me back?” He asked, voice thin and desperate.

“No,” Rin said impulsively. He questioned himself, just slightly. In the back of his mind, a nagging voice scolded him. But he was tired.

“Oh.” Came the response. “W-well… good night, senpai.”

Rin was already asleep. But he dreamt of Ai crying, blue eyes overflowing, reflective tears spilling down that soft, milky skin. That was the first time he felt a sting, as if a rubber band had been snapped deep in his chest.

* * *

 

And as the weeks progressed, Rin noticed how much quieter Ai had become. He wasn’t as quick to encourage, and sometimes didn’t encourage Rin at all. He drifted around the room silently, spending less time in the dorm that usual. Rin actually began to miss coming back to see Aiichirou curled up in his bunk with a book, feet rested on the adjacent wall.

Ai stopped smiling as often, too. His smiles were forced, or had a lingering sadness attached to them. His eyes had lost their sparkling luster, and his voice had lost it’s upbeat and under toned optimism. And Rin’s heart would hurt even more.

But then one day, a sliver of the old Ai appeared. He was sitting on the dorm floor, on his phone. Rin was lying on his bed, studying. And he heard Ai giggle. Just once.

Rin sprung up, eyes wide. Ai was smiling down at his phone, thumbs tapping away at the screen. He could hear the faint sound of texts being sent, back and forth. And now, even though Ai was happy, his heart wrung hollow.

* * *

 

Now, as Rin walked through the courtyard to get back to the dorm, his eyes caught sight of Ai completely, utterly, one hundred percent back to being himself. But he wasn’t alone.

He was sitting underneath one of the large maple trees in the yard, pressed shoulder to shoulder with another boy that Rin knew was a second year. He was possibly on the basketball team? Soccer team? Rin didn’t remember. All he could see was the way Ai smiled as he talked with him, eyes bright and crinkling at the corners every time he let a laugh escape. Rin didn’t care if he was staring. He only cared about the way the other boy’s hand knocked against Ai’s, before entangling their fingers together. The way Ai’s eyes softened as he glanced down at their hands clasped together, and how he leant his head against the boy’s shoulder.

Rin didn’t know why his heart was hurting like this… He should be happy for Ai. He’d found someone. He’d found someone that Rin only hoped would treat him well, that deserved Aiichirou completely. Rin certainly did not deserve Ai. Not one bit.

He lay on the bottom bunk now, eyes wide open, nearly unblinking. He replayed the image of Ai so happy, so beautiful, over and over in his head until his mind became a numb, heartbroken puddle. He placed a hand over his heart, feeling it beating slow and steady, yet the twinges of pain were still sharp and constant.

He had been wrong. So, so wrong on that one night last month. He’d been so wrong to reject Ai’s confession, disregard the boy’s feelings completely. And now he knew why.

He loved Ai back. He really, really did. 


	2. Free Heartbeats

It wasn’t a lie that Aiichirou liked Tanaka. It really wasn’t.

 

He’d been surprised when the second year had come onto him weeks ago. Pleasantly surprised, really. But completely caught off guard.

 

He was still recovering from being rejected by Rin. But, the sweet texts he’d get from Tanaka nearly every night brightened his spirits, and carried him out of the heartbroken fog he’d been wallowing in.  Tanaka was quiet and tall, with warm brown eyes that lit up every time he was with Aiichirou. And Ai loved the way Tanaka called him cute and the feeling of his strong arm settled around his shoulders when they took walks at night. But he’d been caught so off guard by it all.

 

It was a sharp contrast to the cold, silent nights back in the dorm. Ai practically had to bite his tongue off to keep himself from saying embarrassing things to Rin. Aiichirou wanted to make Rin jealous of his newfound romance. But obviously, Rin wouldn’t care. They’d been avoiding one another for the past week or so. It was as lonely as it was painful.

 

_But Rin didn’t want him. Rin didn’t want Aiichirou’s feelings; Rin didn’t want Aiichirou’s heart._ It was all that simple. But it still hurt.

 

He’d been expecting Rin to try and reach out to him, which was stupid. Rin never did. They only spoke when it was about school, and maybe sometimes about swimming. Ai had to learn to fend for himself. Rin didn’t point out the messy state of his desk, nor did he offer to help Ai with English or math.

 

_I’ve ruined everything now…_ Ai thought to himself, lying face up on his bed. _He doesn’t love me, and now he won’t even look at me._ The tears fell quickly; unyielding salty streams dripped down his face. He sniffed, wiping away at his face furiously with the hem of his t-shirt.

 

A buzz by his feet caught his attention. He untangled his cell phone from the mess of sheets, and alighted the screen to see a new text from Tanaka. A small, giddy smile broke out on his face, and he eagerly opened the new text.

 

_Awake thinking about you… when can we hang out again?_

Ai hid his face in his hands, even if no one was around to see. He quickly typed back a reply, telling him that tomorrow would be fine, and that he should try and get some sleep.

 

Sleep didn’t come to either of them, and they spent a few more hours texting back and forth, until Ai couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.

 

As he drifted off, he realized something. Rin hadn’t crossed his mind. Not once.

 

Ai had met up with Tanaka after classes, in one of the school’s courtyards. Ai couldn’t help but blush to himself as Tanaka waved wildly, his smile vibrant and sincere. He was standing under one of the biggest trees on campus, his basketball jersey still on from practice. _God, he’s so cute…_ Ai thought to himself, before bounding over to Tanaka.

 

They sat under the tree and talked, listened to music through a shared set of headphones, and talked some more. Conversations with Tanaka were easily carried, and Ai didn’t have to worry about what he was going to say next.

 

It was a quiet afternoon, with only a few students drifting in and out of the doors. Aiichirou had been listening as Tanaka told him stories about his misadventures in Hawaii last summer, his sides starting to hurt from laughing so often.

 

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt the second year’s knuckles skim over his, gently letting his fingers clasp with Aiichirou’s. Ai met his warm, trusting brown eyes and let a smaller, gentler smile cross over his face. He sighed contently, glancing down at their hands, before laying his head against Tanaka’s sturdy shoulder. He felt Tanaka chuckle softly, squeezing Ai’s hand.

 

Ai glanced back up at Tanaka, who wasn’t looking at him anymore. Aiichirou followed his gaze, and felt a sharp, clutching pain grab him in the chest. He met the intense, wine-red gaze of Rin, and felt like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs.

 

“Isn’t that your roommate?” Tanaka asked Ai, finally turning back towards him with a suspicious expression.

 

Ai kept his eyes locked on Rin’s, and he swallowed dryly. “Y-yeah,” He whispered back.

 

“Well,” Ai felt Tanaka’s voice ghosting over his ear warmly, “He’s been staring at us for a minute. Do you think he’s jealous or something?”

 

Tanaka’s voice was soft and had a teasing undertone. Aiichirou swallowed and ran his thumb over his knuckles, and finally looked down. “I don’t think he’d be jealous.”

 

An hour passed, and Ai reluctantly split from Tanaka as the curfew beckoned. Quietly, he slipped into the dark dorm. He assumed that Rin was sleeping, and blew out a sigh of relief. After the afternoon, he really didn’t want to interact with his roommate. That whole staring incident… it had been on the far side of strange.

 

He tiptoed over to his dresser, trying to tread as lightly as possible. The air had a dull hum of unrequited tension that had been hanging around for weeks. Ai blindly pawed his way over his to drawers, when suddenly the light clicked on.

 

Aiichirou jumped up and whirled around, finding that Rin had somehow slipped out of bed and over to the switches on the wall.

 

“T-thanks,” Ai said, and Rin shot him a cool, steely glance. Aiichirou shrunk away, and slid open his drawers.

 

“You know…” Aiichirou heard Rin begin. “You and that guy make a pretty nice couple.” His voice was laced with a tint of distain.

 

Ai didn’t reply, and he searched around for a soft t-shirt that was of his liking. Rin continued.

 

“You two seem pretty happy together, eh? Like you two know each other _really_ well.”

 

Ai finally found his voice. “Is that why you were staring at us, senpai?”

 

Rin was stunned into silence. Ai stood up straight and turned to face him finally. They met eyes for a moment until Aiichirou pulled his eyes down.

 

“We are happy.” Ai breathed. “Tanaka’s really kind to me,” He shot Rin a pointed glance.

 

“Tanaka, huh?” Rin murmured, stonily. “How long have you two been together? Two days?”

 

Ai turned his head away, eyes prickling from the raging embarrassment. “A… a week.”

 

Rin made a sarcastic _aww_. “That’s sweet, Nitori. I hope you two are together for-“

 

Something inside Ai snapped, like a rubber band that had been stretched far too often.

 

“Why are you attacking me about this?” Ai shouted, fists balled up, jaw clenched. “I can’t be happy on my own terms? Or do you have to control that aspect of my life too, senpai?”

 

Rin pressed his back against the wall. “I wasn’t-“

 

Ai cut him off again. “What do you even want?! Why do you care so much about me all of a sudden?” His tongue was sharp, the words all carefully thought out and launched with lethal doses of venom. His eyes watered, and he angrily scrubbed away at the tears with his knuckles.

 

Rin didn’t reply. Aiichirou couldn’t bring himself to look at him, and he stormed right past him and into the bathroom. Once inside, he locked the door and turned on the tap, breathlessly pressing himself up against the closed door. He let his eyes fall shut when he felt Rin’s presence on the other side of the door, and a few forlorn tears fell when Rin tried turning the knob.

 

“Ai,” Rin said, and his voice sounded so close. And softer, more hesitant.

 

The use of his first name ebbed away at some of Ai’s heartbroken anger. But his throat felt tight, and he didn’t want to reply. His voice would come out all shaken and weak.

 

“Ai, unlock the door.” Rin’s voice wavered now, and sounded a bit rough. Aiichirou shivered and slammed his hand on the tap, stopping it. The silence now ran thick and heavy, charged with emotions and electricity.

 

“W-why should I?” Ai asked, his voice choppy.

 

He could hear Rin’s shaky inhale, even through the door between them. All he heard was a barely audible _“please.”_

 

Ai’s hand flew to the doorknob, but he didn’t move to unlock it. He bit his lip, and leant his head against the cool, smooth door.

 

“Please,” Rin whispered again, “I’m sorry, Ai.”

 

After another moment, Ai slowly let himself unlock the door. He cracked the door open a bit, peering out into the dorm at Rin. Rin was flushed, his eyes were bleary. He really looked a mess.

 

_But then again, I do too._ Ai thought to himself, and let the door open wider. He cautiously stepped back into the room, eyes reddened. He heard Rin inhale shakily.

 

“I wasn’t thinking when I…” Rin started, his words sticking in his throat, “When I rejected you.”

 

Ai’s heart dropped a bit. He shook his head slightly, palms going clammy. “Rin…”

 

Rin’s hands grasped Ai’s shoulders. “Listen!”

 

Ai fell into an abrupt silence, his eyes wide and confused.

 

Rin’s fingers curled over Aiichirou’s forearms. “I shouldn’t have turned you down like that!” Rin admitted, his voice gravely. “I don’t know what I was thinking… And it was so stupid of me! But seeing you with him-“

 

“Rin…” Ai started, his voice barely a whisper.

 

“-Seeing you with him made me realize how I feel about you!” Rin barked out, squeezing his eyes shut.

 

Aiichirou felt Rin collapse against him, and he soon registered that he was being held by his senior. Rin’s arms curled tightly around Ai’s back, and his breath felt hot and raw against his neck. Aiichirou let a small smile pass his lips, and he let his arms encompass Rin too.

 

“Ai…” Rin intoned, “Ai… do you… think you still love me back?”

 

Aiichirou buried his face against Rin’s shirt, taking in everything as quickly as possible.  “Rin…” He whispered, feeling Rin’s hands tentatively come up to rest in his hair.

 

“Is that all you’re going to say?” Rin asked, in a lighter tone, the smile on his face evident in his voice.

 

Aiichirou giggled and pulled away from Rin’s chest. “Yes,” He murmured, watching in amazement as Rin’s eyes visibly brightened.

 

In another quick motion, Rin was embracing Ai once again. He pulled the younger boy tightly against his chest, and finally, his heart beat freely.

 

“Tell that Tanaka kid to get lost, though,” Rin muttered, feeling Ai chuckle against his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw i'm heading up rintori week! check out our tumblr @rintoriweek.tumblr.com ;)


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